Don't Lose Your Passion For God!

Deuteronomy 6:5 - and you shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.

There's an interesting sequence of events leading up to Peter's denial of Christ. First, Jesus warned Peter that he was a target: "Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren" (Luke 22:31-32). Next we read that when the authorities came to arrest Christ, Peter "followed at a distance" (Luke 22:54 - They seized him, and led him away, and brought him into the high priest's house. But Peter followed from a distance. ). Notice, Peter had grown distant from Christ. Then the man who swore he'd die for Jesus denied knowing Him. At that point the rooster crowed, Peter remembered his promise to Jesus, and "went out, and wept bitterly" (Luke 22:55-62 - When they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard, and had sat down together, Peter sat among them. 56A certain servant girl saw him as he sat in the light, and looking intently at him, said, "This man also was with him." 57He denied Jesus, saying, "Woman, I don't know him." 58After a little while someone else saw him, and said, "You also are one of them!" But Peter answered, "Man, I am not!" 59After about one hour passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, "Truly this man also was with him, for he is a Galilean!" 60But Peter said, "Man, I don't know what you are talking about!" Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. 61The Lord turned, and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the Lord's word, how he said to him, "Before the rooster crows you will deny me three times." 62He went out, and wept bitterly. ).

Observe how it works:

(a) You're unprepared for Satan's attack when it comes.

(b) You allow work and family pressures to cause you to forget that your first commitment must always be to God.

(c) You end up spiritually defeated. You say, "That will never happen to me." That's what Peter said! The reason "Satan has asked for you", is because he knows that when you become passionate about God's purposes, you're unstoppable. Indeed, the very desire that's burning within you right now is the fuel that enables you to withstand his attacks.

There's a reason the crucifixion has been referred to as 'The Passion'. The Bible says of Christ: "Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2). Even as He was dying, Jesus was ministering to others. That's passion!

So the Word for you today is, "Don't lose your passion for God."

Walking On Water (1)

Matthew 14:29 - "He walked on the water... to Jesus"

The disciples were out fishing one night when a huge storm struck. About 3am they were terrified by a figure approaching them on the water. '... Immediately Jesus spoke... "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid"... Peter answered... "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You"... So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water... to Jesus' (vv. 27-29 NKJV).

This story teaches us, first, that if the Lord doesn't call us to do it, don't! There's a story about a man standing at the gates of heaven. Peter says, 'Name one great deed you've done.' The man replies, 'Well, a gang of bikers was threatening a woman so I smacked them, kicked over their bikes and ripped out their nose rings.' Impressed, Peter asks, 'When did this happen?' The man answers, 'About 30 seconds ago!' To walk on water you must learn to discern between God's voice and your own impulses.

Second, it teaches us that to experience miracles, we must get out of our comfort zone. Exchange places with Peter. The storm is raging and he's afraid. The boat's secure and comfortable. Wouldn't you want to stay there? But you can't. God designed you to do more than simply avoid failure; He's calling you to step out in faith and accomplish things. You say, 'What's my boat?' It's anything you put your faith in when life gets stormy, like a job or a relationship. Your boat is anything that stops you from getting out of your comfort zone. Leaving it is the scariest, but most rewarding step you'll ever take!

The Importance Of Loving Others

1 John 4:7 -  loved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God, and knows God.

Recently, a 12-year-old boy in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, hung himself. Why? Because the next day was his first day at a new school, he was overweight, and he dreaded being taunted by other children. Few things are more painful than shame. One of the greatest kindnesses we can show others is to take away their false shame through love and acceptance. When the disciples met a man who was blind from birth they asked Jesus, '... "Was it because of his own sins or his parents' sins?"' (John 9:2 - His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" ). They weren't concerned that the man needed help or that he'd spent his life in total darkness. No, they started discussing his shortcomings - right in front of him!

It's easier to label people than love them. We label things because we think we know what's inside, and we label people for the same reason. We'd rather debate homosexuality than befriend someone who's gay, condemn divorce than help its victims, argue about abortion than support an orphanage, or gripe about social services than help the poor.

Jesus didn't see this blind man as a victim of fate, he saw him as an opportunity waiting to happen. He said to His disciples, '... "You're looking for someone to blame... Look instead for what God can do"' (John 9:3 - Jesus answered, "Neither did this man sin, nor his parents; but, that the works of God might be revealed in him. ). If you don't love people, you don't love God; actually, you don't even know Him! You need to pray, 'Lord, remind me today that the greatest gift I have to give others, is Your love.' When you get serious and begin to pray that way, people will open up to God's help and healing.